The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-07
TALKS With BOOD,EMRN.
HOW JATHNE AND HIS CON.
RADES LIVE IN PRISON.
Honest John and McQuade Still Fave
HOpes-BOw the BO0dlers
Viewed the Sharp
Trial.


tiisl, just concluded, calls attention
once more to the great prison, now
certainty the most famous In the
country, and to thote men whom New
York City has recently contributed to
it's varied society. Sing Sing is now
considered the Swell jug" Of America
by the crooks who look forward with
pleasure to the time when an ex-
alderman shall wash their linen and
great fnsncier print their visiting
cards. For to such base uses have
Jaehne and Ward come at last. Your
correspondent was able to gain access
10 the Sing Sing upper ter, and spent
the best part Of three days in finding
out how they live and what their
views, hopes and Cancellations were in
these trying land convictiug) times.
1t would be hard to find a mora
philosophical trio than the Doodle
aldermen, Jaehne, O'Neil and Nc
Quade. They suffer from less Of lib
erly-as who would not-but they are
not eating out their hearts in melsn-
choly introspec,ion. Jsehne has
more brains than the other two COM
bined, and Is not the worst
man in the world, sfler all. Sitting In
his cell-which is seven feet long by
three feet wide, aud contains bed, q
chair, a rug, a few small shelves, a ar
OF fresh water and box OF tobacco
he spoke very freely OF his 'prison life,
FIR he was addressing one who had
known him we'll in years gone by.
at is In this CELL" he said, "too
email by half, where / feel in prison,
and only here. The air Is frequently
bad and close. have ecsnt room, bat
apart from that / am we'll treated,
everything considered. spend about
half my time here, and perhaps lii.
tie more, aud read and smoke. That's
about all / can do. / have no one to
talk with, and when the air is good
don't mind. ! read great deal, novels
and history, you know, and find
can make the tine pass pretty fast.
don't allow myseif to think OF the
months that must elapse before l get
out That would be discoursging, 30 /
dwell in the present and get rid OF the
evening the beet ! can.
"But, after all, Jehue, it 10 hard"
"Ol course IL is," he said, laughiug.
"I get up at 6 O'Clock, have a very in
different breakfast, and work till noon,
when / have an equally ind fferent
dinner. i work till a or 5 o'clock, get
no supper except bread and coffee,
and am locked up at $3.50 O'Clock,
smoke and read, and begin il all over
again at 9 o'clock In the morning; but
Ihsys to eat only one breakfast at a
time. My work is light enough, and
the officers OF the prison treat me- with
as much consideration as our relative
positions will allow. The fact is, PEG
pie have no idea what a sentence o.
imprisonment extending ever q tern
OF years means to the prisoner"
"Jsehne, how do you like being {
sacrifice, anyway"
"Not at all, II by that you mean m,
being In prison; but l don't want tc
say anything which could be miscon
strued as representing my position IL
regard TO my sentence. But, looi
here, / think more OF my trial thar
ANYBODY else, and 1 have studied In,
influences which bore upon il. ant
which led TO the verdict. Tie news
paper press hiss tried, convicted an,
condemned me just as IL has innocen
men before. They misrepresente,
and exaggerated in their reports an,
iIhimed In their editorials until tn,
public opinion was excited sgains
me. A victim was demanded; h
was wanted right then, and his sacri
fce, II that's Whist You call n, was 4
be complete. Men like TO hunt thei
fellow mao, and all the better nows
days, because they can hunt hin
with the law sometimes withou
danger to them elves, and eratii
an instinct which had NOR
courageous expression IN th
days OF clubs and spears. They hunte
me because / was the first ayailabl
person. ] got ten years. The subst
quent sentences which have beei
passed on my iellow.victims show no,
the anger OF the public ia expendin
itself. Some will escape, scot free.
do not complain OF that by any mar
ner OF means, and am glad inat all {
thoeo who did not escape got of muc
better than did. But / do not con
plain Of the hardship OF a sentenc
whose severity grows out OF an IL
hsued state Of public opinion create
by the newspapers, in that spirit G
Infamous injustice and sensation lisr
which marks the New York press.
take Sbarp's case. / am prett
well advised Of that. No sooner doe
anything happen In the bribery al ain
than ! am dragged out for al intel
view. II Is q fact that no calm an
dlspsesionate person will attempt I
deny that the iscts, 90 far as proven 4
court, divested oil the intemperat
feelings and the influences OF ia
newspapers with which they have b se
colored and surrounded, are mad,
quste 10 secure Q conviction. IL tn
administration OF justice 30 difficu
that the very kind Of conspiracit
which are charged az crimes are nete
sary 10 secure the evidence and subor
the witDesses 10 reach conviction2
seems 90. The prosecution have beeu
~ hhe b1-f NeoN Nut bhlut mttnOu
employed In McQuade's, OF terorii
ing the jsry when Il Is m sde ar int
giving verdict Of guilty. Il will b
brave man who will only De LailI
,enced by the consclousnegs Of right |
the Sharp eaee. Should he fail TO r,
gard Sharp "a guilty after the eyidencl
will be fail 10 regard the position h
will occupy In be minds OF Il
people when Il becomes know
that he held out for RcqulttAl? NJ
much. It's thumbs down with III
spectators aud jurymen, as the so,
cesa1l gladiator INIT hill or die hin
self. Now, as a matter Of fact, Il an,
Ing apart from my own case, | new,
saw Jscob Sharp In my life / nevt
bad any dealings or correspondent
with him, and though / do not kno
II fora fact, | do not believe that Ful
graf did either. Tina. must b. pro ve
In this care TO secure a conviction.
! am rightly informed, no intern,
ItnN III. A a a